Take Back Your Life
by KtyouVsWriting
Summary: Hiccup was finished with Berk shunning him. Leaving was tough, but it was his best chance at becoming something. Anna was finished with Elsa pushing her away, but she wouldn't let that stop her from hoping for something better in life. Then they met each other; it was love at first sight, but pain doesn't just go away. How long can they ignore the pain? Is ignorance bliss? Truly?
1. I Was a Warrior

Chapter 1: I Was a Warrior

 **Somewhere far from Berk**

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

That was his name. Or was that his name? Which one did he prefer? Which one was more appropriate? Why was he asking these questions to himself?

He was asking this to himself because that was the name he was given at birth. His parents had given him that name. His mother Valka and his father Stoick.

But his mother was dead.

And his father was long behind him. Was it even right to call the man his father? Weren't fathers suppose to be an idol, a person for a son to idolize and look up to?

He certainly didn't think of his father like that. When was the last time his "father" had been a father? Years, if Hiccup's memory served him well.

Here he was, a boy that had seen fifteen years of life, flying away from home on the back of a dragon, packing only the essentials for a long-term journey.

Why was a fifteen-year-old boy running away from home? Parent troubles were nothing new on Berk, but still families remained whole.

Because as far as he was concerned, it was no longer his home. He had stopped considering it home for a long time. Home was suppose to be a place where you didn't have to worry about being harassed all the time. Home was the place where family wasn't always pressing you to do something you weren't. Home wasn't the place where you always felt that you didn't fit in.

Hiccup no longer had a place on Berk. As the weakest Viking, he couldn't ever hope to fight there. Nobody ever bothered to train him how to fight, believing that he simply wasn't cut out for it. Brains were less desirable than brawns, something that Hiccup always excelled in. Fists, broadswords, hammers, axes, bows and arrows, anything involving brawns was the best thing ever.

That wasn't to say that he wasn't capable of taking a beating. Contrary to popular belief, he was actually very durable despite his stature. Some didn't know it, but Hiccup had on occasion suffered some attacks from the other kids on Berk. His father had told him to tough it out, and like a good son, he did. But no injury kept him in a bed for more than a few days, and that was the worst. At best, Hiccup could shrug off wounds that should be normally more dangerous. Hiccup attributed this unnatural endurance to his father. Or maybe it was just his stubborn nature.

It didn't matter anyways. He was past that, and more importantly, he was finally free from that place. Berk was history to him as far as he was concerned.

So what did it matter now? Why question it?

 _Because it's the only life I've ever known,_ he mulled silently, _I've known nothing else other than Berk._

Hiccup then thought about Gobber. That man, for all of his unusual quirks and rather unusual behavior, was about the closest thing to a fatherly figure that the boy had ever had. He taught Hiccup how to forge weapons. He taught Hiccup how to craft. He taught Hiccup how to be a bit more optimistic. Truthfully, Gobber was one of the few people that he was going to miss, alongside his father, and perhaps Astrid.

Astrid Hofferson, the girl whom he was smitten with. How could Hiccup ever really miss her? He didn't even know her in the slightest. If he were asked questions about her, he would simply say that fighting was her core. He didn't know anything else about her. And she ignored him, unlike everyone else who poked fun at him or ridiculed him. Somehow, being ignored was worse than being ridiculed. To her, he wasn't even worth the effort. How embarrassing and how degrading was that?

The soft growl of Toothless shook his from his thoughts. Hiccup knew this sound to be a questioning sort. It had to come up sooner or later. The boy knew that Toothless was aware of their situation. That meant the dragon was going to ask more about it.

"I'm thinking about Berk, buddy," Hiccup said. "I think that sometimes that I made a mistake of leaving. I don't know."

Hiccup didn't get a chance to prepare himself as Toothless suddenly descended towards a lone island. Hiccup braced himself quickly, feeling no fear, but still his blood was pumping fast. Toothless's dive soon ended as quickly as it had began. The dragon landed on all four feet. Hiccup slowly got off the back of his friend.

"What is it bud," Hiccup faced the Night Fury.

Toothless gave Hiccup a look of consideration. Both dragon and rider stared each other in the eye, as if searching their souls. A silence filled the void they were standing in. Not even the crashing waves all around them were of consequence to them.

Hiccup barely became aware when Toothless approached the boy and carefully bore his eyes deeper into the former Viking. Hiccup's breath hitched as Toothless suddenly placed his forehead right up against his own. The scales were warm still like they always had been.

The former Viking didn't flinch nor did he give off any sense of fear. This creature was his friend, his only true friend, and the bond they shared was forged from trusted one another. From the humble beginnings of touching physically to trusting each other in flight, it was now a dependency that neither of them were going to relinquish so easily. And having only each other for this journey, they would need to depend upon each other more than ever.

An alien feeling washed over Hiccup's being, a bit of an uncomfortable feeling, but not overwhelmingly so. Hiccup just bit his bottom lip and remained silent as he continued to let Toothless do what he wished or needed to do.

And then Toothless separated from him in an instant. Both remained in eye contact.

 _:: Can you understand me now, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III?"_

Knowing fully well that they were the only two presences upon this small island, Hiccup gazed intensely at his friend, his mouth slightly agape in shock.

It was a voice that wasn't really distinguishable from anything he had ever heard of on Berk.

"Toothless." The boy tilted his head. "Is that you?"

 _:: It is. I have connected with you, thus why you can now hear me.::_

"Wow," Hiccup rubbed the back of his head. "This is just amazing. Can you do this for anyone?"

 _:: All Dragons can mentally bond with those that cannot speak our tongue. However, it is a sacred rite. We give this to only the most trustworthy of companions and friends.::_

And just like that, Hiccup could know for certain that his new friend was a true friend. If Toothless was willing to bond with Hiccup in order bridge the only gap between them, then the Night Fury was willing to stay by the boy's side.

"I'm honored," Hiccup said. "But why did you choose me?"

 _:: You saved me when most would not. You had many chances to kill me and prove to your kin that you were of their kind. But I looked into your eyes and I saw one who did not wish to kill, but to prove worth.::_

"And you were right," Hiccup sighed. "but I'm not sure if they were my people."

 _:: I understand your reasons for leaving. If anything, I would do the same if my own kin shunned me.::_

"You know about that, huh," Hiccup chuckled weakly.

 _:: I was able to deduce as much, but do not think about them. You want to be free, and you are now.::_

"Yes," Hiccup said, "But I guess I haven't thought that far. I don't even know what to do now."

Both companions remained silent, Hiccup deep in thought while Toothless gave a long stare.

Toothless was an intelligent species of Dragon, and he began to work his understanding of his chosen rider. This boy, while not strong in body, was strong in mind and in spirit. If he endured years of abuse at the hands of his own people, and had not succumbed to madness, then he was very strong-willed. In addition, he was an ingenious inventor of devices, such as the saddle and the prosthetic tailfin which allowed him to fly.

Not only that, but he possessed what Toothless could only describe as a heart that spoke volumes of compassion. This Human displayed regret at having left those that didn't care for him. That in itself indicated a sort of mentality that was very hard to find. And to think that this mentality was so blatantly discarded and disregarded, it felt… wrong.

Toothless, like other Dragons, always stayed clear from Humans whenever possible, with exception to when their queen forced them to attack Berk. None of them wanted to do it, but it was either them or the Humans. The Humans thought similarly, and so there was undoubtedly bad blood between the two species.

At least in the Barbaric Archipelago.

Virtually no Dragon travelled beyond the archipelago, the clearest reason being that they were only abundant in this region. Perhaps once there were more Dragons in the world, but now they were so rare in actuality that they may be considered endangered.

Perhaps it was time to venture out into the world where people there might be more receptive to a sight that hadn't been seen for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.

 _:: Might I make a suggestion then?::_

"Go on," Hiccup gestured. "I'm listening."

 _:: Perhaps it is time to go exploring the world to see what it has to offer us both.::_

"But won't you be lonely without your brothers and sisters," Hiccup asked.

 _:: They will be missed by me, but you on the other hand, have nothing left but your skills and me. And as your friend and my chosen rider, I must stand by you.::_

"I'm that important to you?" Hiccup raised an eye.

 _:: You gave me the ability to fly again. You nurtured me when I was down. I will always be thankful to you.::_

The brown-haired boy didn't know what to say. This was all so unexpected, so surprising. When was the last time that anyone had ever been so considerate of him? When was the last time anyone ever so much as thought to give him something of value?

From having no value to being one of the most valued individuals to someone was a huge step-up in self-esteem for Hiccup. It was now time to prove that he wasn't finished yet and that he did indeed have something to do in this world.

"Thank you, Toothless," he spoke. "I won't ever forget this."

Toothless nodded.

"So you were saying something else?"

 _:: There are many lands beyond this little space of the world. There are many wonders and places that are without Dragons. If you wish to leave this way of life entirely, this is your best chance.::_

"But how will we even approach that," Hiccup asked. "I don't even know if we can communicate with anyone beyond our region."

 _:: It's a risk that we will have to take if we wish to escape from the life here. You and I both will need to rely on each other. This affects you and me.::_

Those were very true words indeed. Both of them depended upon each other. It was something that weighed heavily on Hiccup's mind. He was in a better position to make a life for them than Toothless was. The boy could talk to other people, work with them, convince them that dragons weren't all evil as stories and legends and tales said they were.

The first order of business was to actually find a place that would welcome them both, as hard as that may seem.

"So where do you suggest we start, buddy?"

 _:: There are many civilizations much to the south-east. Perhaps we can start there. If you can convince them that we are not hostile, we can see from there.::_

"Alright," Hiccup nodded. "But if I see anything that looks too dangerous, we won't stay. For your safety and mine."

 _:: Agreed, friend.::_

Hiccup would have to get use to the voice of a dragon calling him friend. How his life had changed in just a few short days. Would it be a better life?

It was already sounding better.

 **Arendelle…**

King Adgar of Arendelle stared at himself in the mirror very closely, precariously looking himself up and down.

As always, he was dressed in an attire that was spick and span with not a single wrinkle or defect that he could spot. This was a good thing, as he needed to be at his best, even though he wasn't seeing anyone. The practice of maintaining a presentable look was something that never ceased to make him be serious.

The reason he wasn't working today was of the fact that soon he would be heading out to journey to another neighboring kingdom. To be more specific, he would be visiting Corona to see the royal family there. They had some things to work out together and they were actually family-related by blood.

And Adgar was well aware of the fact that the two of them had a baby daughter that was stolen from them. He understood their pain in a way. With Anna's life so close to forfeit eight years ago, he had taken to ensuring that Elsa never hurt Anna or anyone else again. Her powers were dangerous, and without proper control, they could potentially cause death.

The mere thought of that was uneasy.

Ever since the accident, Adgar had grown more and more watchful of Elsa. While she was a more than capable individual woman to carry on the crown of Arendelle, it was her powers that were the subject of his scrutiny.

Elsa had grown in more than just beauty and intelligence, but also in her own abilities over ice and snow. She was truly powerful in many ways that Adgar knew that he himself would never be. In a way, he felt a swell of pride at this, and in another way, he was worried. Elsa was very much composed and calm, but even the best people could be turned.

He shook his head at the pessimistic thought. She hadn't done anything to provoke such negative thoughts. She was different, that was all. If anything, Elsa was more scared of herself, which really wasn't what he wanted, but he wasn't sure how to coax her out of her sadness and try.

Her powers were really putting a crux on her personality; the once happy and expressive Elsa had turned into a shell of that former girl. It was sad. Truly, it was heart-clenching to see that the effort put into finding a solution to keep her powers in check wasn't doing any good. Adgar for every single day since that fateful night wondered just what they could be doing that they were not doing.

"Are you alright, my dear," Iduna asked.

Snapped from his thoughts, Adgar turned to see his wife. She carried a look of a smile that was not fully a smile. She clearly knew something was wrong even with his face being calm as it was now. With no point in hiding it, he let down the facade and showed his true mood.

"Iduna," he whispered, "I'm lost."

"Elsa," the queen asked.

"Am I that transparent?"

"Adgar, you are my husband," she scolded, "If I were not able to understand you after all the years we've been married, then I would be a poor spouse."

He did not bother to correct her, because she was right. She was always right.

"For years we've been trying to get Elsa to control her powers, and while we've done that to an extent, I fear for her emotionally. Iduna, she doesn't even dare to touch anyone anymore, not even us. That is not right."

Iduna shook her head. "No, it isn't."

"What could we have done better, I have always asked myself. Should we have done something else? Even now this power of hers is beyond my comprehension, and I think it always will be."

"As will it for me, Adgar, but we've exhausted all of our options. We've no one else to turn to. And the trolls do not seem to have anything more for us. We should be thankful that she has control at all."

The words were not at all calming in any sort of way, but there was truth to them. He should be thankful that Elsa had managed to gain any sort of semblance of control. It was even more fortunate that she hadn't hurt anyone else.

"I'm sorry," Adgar spoke. "I shouldn't be feeling pity or loathing for myself."

"It's alright," Iduna replied. "Every single day I think of Elsa and worry, especially when we go on journeys like this one."

"I trust Elsa, my love. There's no doubt in my mind she is mentally mature."

Both of them embraced one another silently, their shared pain now fusing, undoubtedly a poisonous combination, but both of them truly were at a loss as to how they would ever solve this problem in a way that didn't involve Elsa having to be as she was now.

Then both of them heard a very familiar sound of footsteps. They knew instantly who it was because of the pace of the footsteps. Nobody ran fast in the castle for it was not proper. There was only one person who defied traditional things and properness.

Their youngest daughter Anna.

The two parents detached from each other, smiling at Anna. If there was one thing that always did manage to make them smile, it was Anna's boundless energy. She could always seem to brighten any unwanted mood that possessed either of them. The girl bounced into their arms, and they accepted her hug with as much love as she was giving.

"How long will you be gone," Anna asked.

"Hopefully not long," Adgar said, "Perhaps a week."

"I don't want you to go," Anna whined, "Please do go, mama, papa."

"Anna." Iduna hugged her daughter. "We'll be okay. It's only a short time. You'll be fine."

"But there's nothing to do," Anna complained, "Everything's so boring."

Adgar, while smiling at his his youngest daughter's antics, was also frowning internally. Anna hadn't even brought up her sister Elsa in the past three years. It worried him in a way that Anna no longer even seemed to acknowledge that she had an older sister. Whenever the sisters were ever in the same room, Anna acted like Elsa wasn't even in the room, and more than he cared to admit it, the king hated to see this, but he had been adamant that Elsa couldn't talk with Anna. He couldn't help the wave of guilt that spread over him. They were sisters in blood, but they weren't sisters emotionally.

"You have your lessons," the king spoke. "Do please try not to cause a ruckus while we're gone."

"But papa-"

"Young lady," the queen crossed her arms. "As a princess of Arendelle, you must be educated as necessary."

Anna pouted and let out a huff. Both of them knew that the girl wasn't terribly fond of studies. She prefered to be outside in the courtyard or in the gardens. She prefered to be out whenever possible. More often than not, the king and queen had seen Anna look longingly at the gates and wishing them to be open so she could leave the castle.

But Anna was always attentive to her parents as well, and despite not having an affinity for studies, she got through them decently enough.

The queen breathed lightly before adopting a more soft expression.

"Be a good girl, Anna, and we'll bring you back something new."

Anna tapped her foot in consideration, then seemed to accept this proposition with a heavy sigh.

"Okay, mama."

The girl smiled lightly and accepted a final hug from both her mother and father before taking to the hallways again.

 **Castle Garden…**

Princess Anna sat on one of benches that adorned the garden. It wasn't the clearest day, but for most part, there were not too many clouds dotting the sky around Arendelle. That was just fine with Anna.

She was here because this was a place that seemed always abundant in beauty and seemed to always have some sort of beauty even in the worst of weather. Anna found a lot of things to do out here to keep her busy. For one, the ducks and ducklings were a source of great laughs and entertainment. For another, the countless animals that dotted the garden seemed to take a liking to her very much.

All in all, a great place.

But even the greatest place wasn't enough for her.

Anna had watched from the door as both her mother and father took to the streets. She didn't have long to see them as the doors to the outside closed almost as quickly as they had opened. She then retreated here to think.

Once again, the castle was locked up to the world.

Why couldn't she go out there? Why couldn't she have a sister that cared about her? Why couldn't she ever do anything fun? Why was life so bad to her? Had she done something wrong that she couldn't remember?

It was not fair. It just was not fair. How could a lot of other people got to lead interesting and happy lives and here she was, stuck in a castle with no real friends and few people to turn to? How was that fair?

No longer feeling the desire to sit in the garden, Anna trudged back into the castle, her mood now sour. She barely acknowledged anyone who bowed to her out of respect. She wasn't in the mood to accept anyone right now. She needed to be alone. When she passed by Elsa's door, she didn't even spare a glance at it.

Princess Elsa, the official older sister of Anna and the future queen of Arendelle. Unfortunately, that was where the connection ended in the mind of the younger sister. Anna for many years had been trying to get her sister to see her. It had started some eight years ago if Anna remembered correctly. They used to play together all the time, and seemingly out of nowhere, Elsa refused to see her.

Anna had tried to rationalize the reason as to why Elsa would do this, but no matter how she looked at their relationship, she could not find a good reason. They had once been inseparable, playing in the snow, making snowmen, and just being silly little kids having all the fun in the world. That had been life once, and it was a life that Anna still wanted more than anything else.

No longer did she think about it.

What was there left to think about?

Anna had long since decided that if Elsa wouldn't talk to her, then so be it. The thirteen year old was done pining for Elsa's attention. Eight years was more than enough time for Elsa to reconcile and she hadn't taken the bait once in that time. If there was ever to be a relationship between them, it wasn't going to be from Anna's side.

 _Enough is enough,_ Anna told herself. _I'm done being miserable waiting for you Elsa._

She shook her head from her thoughts. Why was she thinking about this when she could be thinking about something far more enjoyable. Seeing that everyone in the castle was busy more or less with duties and given that it was the weekend, Anna decided that perhaps she needed to calm down a bit.

Maybe a storybook or two would hit the spot. She needed to do something that would get her mind off of the things that could make a good day turn bad. Maybe if she read more, then Kai and Gerda would get off of her case about not reading enough.

Anna really needed to get friends her age.

* * *

 **I've finally done it, mixed and mashed two beloved worlds into one. And this time, who needs Hiccelsa when you've got Hiccana? This story was partly inspired by** **Infrared-Ultraviolet's call to action.**

 **This story will be updated hopefully consistantly, but as I've got a busy writing schedule in addition to school, I can't promise numerous updates, but I can promise a good story.**

 **As you've already read, this is a different take on Anna and Hiccup with most of their personalities being retained. Serious guys, as much as I praise Anna for believing in Elsa, I can't help but feel that Anna should've been a bit more bitter about her alienation with Elsa. The same goes for Hiccup.**

 **Before anyone asks, no I won't be telling what happens in the story, so please don't PM me asking if you can know story details. You're free to leave in reviews what you think will happen, but I'm not going to reveal anything. You'll have to read and see.**

 **So if the readers are hip about this story, then leave a review. Love, hate, criticism and feedback are all welcome. Because my schedule is tight with life and other stories, this story is not a priority, but you guys want to make it a priority, then be sure to show support.**

 **Thanks for reading this pilot chapter, and remember, one faces the future with one's past.**

 **Peace!**


	2. From Nothing to Something

Chapter 2: From Nothing to Something

 **Location Unknown…**

Hiccup and Toothless rode in the clear sky of day, looking for any signs of civilization. They were high enough that anyone sailing would only see a small shape. They would likely dismiss Toothless as a bird. That was fine with both of them for now. The less attention drawn to them, the better.

For many days now, the two of them had made their way out of the Barbaric Archipelago and towards territory that Hiccup knew nothing about. Hiccup had counted at least six days of flying, exploring, seeing, and resting.

It was frightening for many reasons.

The first reason was that he didn't speak any language other than Norse. How was he going to communicate with anyone who didn't know that language. Stoick had always said that contact with anyone other than Vikings was a rarity. That meant there wasn't much chance to communicate and learn with those. And learning a new language seemed like a lot of work considering that he didn't really know what else there was to speak. Still, it was best to remain hopeful.

The second reason to worry was Toothless. He was a Night Fury, one of the deadliest dragon species alive not to mention bright in the head. Unfortunately, people tended to let fear get in the way of actually making contact. Others might try to seize Toothless as their own. Hiccup wouldn't let such a fate befall upon his first and only friend. There had to be someone out there, someone understanding.

The third and final reason was about himself. He wasn't sure how he was going to survive out in the world. Certainly he was a well-trained smith. Not only was he good with forging weapons but also things used in everyday life. Yet despite this skill he possessed, he wondered if the places there were going were going to need service like Hiccup could offer. He certainly hoped so. If there was one thing he could guess accurately about other societies was that people needed things fixed all the time.

More than once he had expressed these concerns to Toothless, who had responded in assurance that it would be difficult initially, but that there would always be something for the two of them.

Their travels had taken them out of the cold region of the archipelago and towards the southeast. So far, he'd only spotted small patches of land or islands, nothing really noteworthy in his opinion. These places he stopped so Toothless could rest and they could catch fish to cook and eat, or in Toothless's case just eat. Along the way, Hiccup wrote notes in his journal; he wanted to look back on these days sometime in the future and see compare now to then. Hiccup was certain that there would be things to look back on with tears and laughs.

As far as Hiccup knew, they had been travelling for three days on end. He'd taken the time to sketch, write his thoughts, and explore, something that he hadn't done since he was little kid. It felt nice not to be confined to Berk where people shunned him for being different.

"Toothless," Hiccup exhaled, "Have you ever travelled outside of the archipelago?"

 _:: Once or twice in the past. It is difficult to gauge how many times I have. Suffice it to say I do have a general idea of where to begin our new chapter in life. ::_

"Anything I should know?" Hiccup sat back in the saddle, "I've got a feeling that it's not as simple as find a place and all is well."

 _:: Alas for us, but to answer your question, no it won't be simple. You desire a life where you are accepted. That may be the initial difficulty that I speak of. ::_

Hiccup patted Toothless "I know bud, and that's what I'm afraid of, honest to gods truth. Who knows what'll happen?"  
 _:: We shall find out won't we? ::_

Hiccup noticed an island jutting out from the sea. It looked to be big enough to hunker down for the night. Even though Hiccup couldn't see Toothless's face, he could tell the dragon was beginning to lose steam. His lips were a bit more lethargic than they were hours earlier. This accommodated by the fact their flight speed was the deciding factor for Hiccup.

"Set down on that island," Hiccup gestured, "We'll eat and rest up for the night. We can set out at dawn."

The Night Fury didn't bother to argue this, and began to descend. Just like Hiccup had practice multiple times, he partially guided Toothless into the descent, going at an angle that wasn't too steep. Today wasn't their day to do practice maneuvers, so there wasn't a need to go crazy with flying.

Toothless let his paws touch the island, then came to a stop before Hiccup dismounted and surveyed around him. It was a very small island, with only a small forest behind them and ocean all around them. Hiccup could make a simple camp for the night from a fire pit and some food.

But first, they had get said food before the night set in.

The next few hours were spent with Hiccup gathering firewood and setting up a fire pit. The sand wasn't too unstable, and the boy found it easy to set up some wood into a bowl center. Hiccup was careful in selecting the firewood, making sure that what he collected was dry wood.

By the time the sun was almost out of sight, Hiccup had already gotten a fire burning with Toothless's help. It burning with a very comforting presence, and Hiccup decided to doodle the campfire in his notebook. He hummed a small tune in his head while doing so.

 _:: You seem cheerful, Hiccup. ::_

Hiccup looked to Toothless. "I guess I am. For once, I'm free to go where I please, do what I want, and without anyone to tell me how to do it, when to do it, how to do it, and why to do it."

 _:: Freedom is quite the thing, and yet you are only just beginning to explore the possibilities. The only limit is the one we set in our minds. ::_

"Well," Hiccup rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I'm not feeling that good right now."

 _:: Then we will build your confidence up, find a place in the world where you belong. Do not give up hope yet. ::_

"I guess," Hiccup sat back on Toothless, looking into the night sky. "I want to believe in myself. It's just that-"

 _:: Your people told you otherwise. ::_

His people.

Hiccup felt a bitter taste in his mouth. His people?

"They're not my people anymore," Hiccup mumbled. "And I want nothing to do with them."

Toothless didn't answer, simply laying down his head on the ground.

 **Somewhere on the Sea**

Adgar was in his study along with Iduna. Their trip had been delayed slightly due to an over extended trip to Corona and the Southern Isles. The Kings and Queens of both nations seemed to overly eager to talk with Arendelle's rulers, which should've come as no surprise to either Adgar and Iduna. Their kingdom was isolated for the most part and any appearance made by them was something that many took advantage of.

That didn't make the delay any more appreciated. Both of them didn't like being separated from their daughters for very long. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they fretted about the slightest chance that something might happen to either of the girls or both of them. Be it Anna getting herself into another accident or Elsa losing control. With both daughters, a lot could happen. The king didn't want to think of bad thoughts, but he had to be a bit realistic at times even if it pained him.

The saying that ignorance was bliss the king of Arendelle had come to understand was quite a truthful saying.

In order to lessen these negative thoughts, Adgar had turned to looking over the documents that the Southern Isles had recently given him that effectively updated trading agreements between them. Arendelle had more agricultural goods to offer as well as raw materials. The Southern Isles had more finished goods to offer. The trade was clear-cut and beneficial to both parties.

Iduna meanwhile read a book while lying on their bed. Her eyes darted back and forth between lines, quickly taking in the information while also trying to come up with a mental picture in her head in order to better take in what she was reading.

The air around them was serene, with the occasional sound of water and tumbling from the deck above and the wind. Both of them weren't use to this sort of silence much. The castle was not often a quiet place. With Anna and her antics, the castle usually was filled some sort of noise, not that it was something unpleasant to hear, but the silence was a welcome change of pace.

Adgar decided that he'd had enough of work for one day. With the day coming to a close in several hours, he felt it necessary to get proper sleep so he could wake up bright and early and get ready for the day. They still had at least a few days more of travel, but Adgar was never one to sit idle for long. He was a man of action.

"Done for the day?" Iduna asked, her eyes not straying from her book. She shifted slightly to give him more room. "You've been at that for a while."

"I just wanted to make sure that I didn't miss anything." Adgar removed his boots and his coat before settling down. "The last thing I want is for our kingdom to be swindled because of carelessness on my part."

"Understandable," Iduna replied. "Some of our neighbors are testing us to see if isolation have dulled our political senses in any way."

"I welcome the challenge," Adgar answered, "It keeps our skills intact, shows everyone that we're still capable even if talks are less and less with the passing years."

"You're zeal for politics never ceases to amaze me." Iduna smiled at his hidden giddiness at the topic. He was a good king in every way, and for reasons she still couldn't fathom, he found much excitement in engaging in political talks. "But one day, we will have to open the gates and once again show the world that we don't have anything to hide."

"One day," Adgar nodded. "I pray for that day with the time that passes. I want to see that day and know that we no longer have to shut ourselves off from the world. It's not right for Elsa and Anna. It's not right for our people."

"Until we are certain that Elsa can control her powers," Iduna murmured, "We simply cannot risk it. I dare not think of what would happen if her powers were public knowledge."

"I know." Adgar's lips creased into a frown. "I'm amazed sometimes that nobody on the outside seems to know."

"Well you do a good job of being sure of our staffs' loyalty," Iduna reminded. "We're fortunate to have such loyal subjects."

"I try," he settled down next to her. "But it is exhausting just the same. We've got to remain on top of the game."

Iduna took his hand in hers, savoring the assuring feeling of his fingers as they intertwined with her own.

"I have complete faith in you, Adgar. You've done well for Arendelle despite our closed-door policy. Don't doubt yourself in the least."

His thanks didn't come in the form of words, but a smile directed at her. It was more than words could convey. To know that his beloved continued to have faith in him and his judgement despite the many ups and downs they faced as rulers, husband and wife, and parents

It wasn't long before the two of them blew the candles out and snuggled up to each other and let sleep take over them.

 **Early Dawn**

Whatever Adgar and Iduna had been expecting that morning, it certainly wasn't the sound of their captain on deck shouting orders.

Before the two of them could register the orders being given the ship hands, the ship began to rock extremely unsteadily. This was followed by a loud banging sound. If the two Arendelle rulers weren't awake seconds earlier, they were without a doubt awake and alert now, and it didn't take long to know what was going on. And the voice of the captain only gave them a clear affirmative.

"PIRATES!"

They were under attack.

Letting a curse from his lips, Adgar quickly got into his attire and grabbed his sword from its place leaning against the nearby wall. Iduna too grabbed her dagger which was concealed under the desk.

"Stay here," Adgar ordered. "If worse comes to worst-"

"NO!" Iduna interrupted Adgar, "You will not leave me! I vow it!"

"Married for almost two decades," Adgar smiled sadly, "And still you worry about me."

"It's because of my worry that you're alive still," Iduna scolded. "Don't be reckless."

The door to their cabin burst open and one of their soldiers came forth. Normally, such an interruption might be reprimanded more severely, but given their situation, it could be forgiven. Besides, Agdar knew the soldier to be the young man James Edward.

"You majesties!" The man looked a little more than fearful. "We need to get you to safety! Pirates are trying to board the ship!"

"Status," Adgar demanded.

The boat rocked. "We count at least twelve visible pirates on deck, but we don't know about the full crew!"

"And our men?" Adgar looked calm, but that didn't take away from his concerned tone.

"One man is down for the fight, but still alive. The others are readying our weapons to fire back!"

"I will not sit here like a coward," Adgar stood up to his full height. "I'll be there shortly."

James hesitated for a moment before nodding his head and rushing out, not bothering to close the door quietly behind him. Again, neither Adgar nor Iduna cared to notice such a detail at this time.

"Will you be okay?" Adgar caressed her face.

"For goodness sake, Adgar of Arendelle," Iduna frowned. "Of course I'm not okay! My husband is going to risk his own life to hold back pirates! No, I'm not okay!"

"I'll be okay," Adgar said, "I swear upon the crown and our love that I will return to you whole and sane."

"You had better." Iduna leaned into his touch.

With a final kiss of assurance, Adgar grabbed his weapon and made it onto deck. James and Frederick were waiting for him and quickly guided him to the scene.

It was an absolute mess outside. There was barely any light coming from the horizon. It would be at least another hour before the sun truly showed itself, maybe longer. That meant in addition to being caught off guard, they were going to have to fight half-blind. Adgar looked around trying to spot the ship.

Like with any good king, Adgar had trained extensively in warfare and strategy. It was knowledge that he knew as natural as breathing, but never wanted to use if he didn't have to. His father had taught him that war and violence was atrocity committed in the name of survival. However justified one side feels in conflict,, it didn't take away from the fact that it was wrong. Alas for Adgar, pirates weren't going to give him the luxury of peace. It was either their lives or the lives of his crew and possibly that of Iduna.

As much as it pained him to take the life of any person, Adgar had to defend his people by whatever means necessary in this case.

Adgar didn't have to wait long to be engaged on his own ship. Pirates were already hooking their ship to his own on the port side. The men were already picking up their swords and limited guns to suppress the pirates. The sounds of shouting and crying filled the air.

"Your majesty," Captain Miles called, "We are outnumbered three to one!"

"Hold them back from the lower decks," Adgar ordered, "Tell our men to pull back and form a defensive line! Nobody gets past us!"

The orders were given and the soldiers immediately gathered around their king and began to use whatever they could to form a rough barricade around the doors to the decks as well as the captain's wheel. All men had some form of weapon with them, but there were more melee weapons than there were ranged weapons. Only five had rifles and only two had pistols, and with the limited amount of guns came limited amounts of ammunition.

They weren't prepared for a pirate attack because they weren't expecting pirates at this time of year. It was almost the winter season and pirates for one reason or another tended to remain low at this time of year. Sailing in the winter was one of the hardest times to sail. Few people could handle the cold for long periods of time.

It wasn't taking long for the pirates to board their ship and attack them. They cried out in a language Adgar recognized as French. That fact slipped away quickly as shots began to be fired. Everyone took cover as best they could, with the few who had guns firing back. The splitting sounds were loud to everyone's ears.

Adgar saw a sword appear over his cover and knew this to be an attacker. So he stood and clashed swords with the pirate. Adgar called upon his lesser-known skill of expert swordsmanship and pushed the attacker back. The man clearly wasn't good as his strikes were sloppy and disorganized. It took only five strikes and a hard strike to the side to down the man. Ignoring the bleeding that was happening, Adgar quickly returned to cover and assessed their situation.

Two of his soldiers were clutching themselves, likely trying to mitigate an injury sustained. So far, nobody had sustained a really bloody wound, but under equipped as they were, the Arendelle forces stood little chance against the more armed pirates. A few smoke bombs began to fill their senses, causing much coughing and sputtering and cursing. Of course their lives weren't going to be made easier.

Adgar should always remember that pirates don't ever play fair. They play to win and take whatever they can.

The sound of a cry of pain alerted him immediately and turned to see who among his ranks had sustained the injury. Puzzling enough, everyone seemed confused, because nobody else seemed to be Puzzling enough, everyone seemed confused, because nobody else seemed to be injured. Then another cry of pain, this one followed the sound of men trying to fight something but sounding like they were failing.

"Everyone okay?" Adgar looked around to see collective nodding. "Captain, any serious injuries?"

"Nothing life-threatening your majesty," Captain Miles reported from the wheel. "I can't really make out what's going on though!"

Then all of them heard a very loud roaring sound, but not like that of any predator that they'd ever heard. However, perhaps it was a trick of their ears as they couldn't see anything nor could they hear properly. There were so many sounds of swords clattering and shouting that it was impossible to make out whatever that noise was.

Taking a chance peek over their makeshift cover, Adgar struggled to see through the dense smoke. It sounded like there was another enemy that the pirates were facing.

But who could it be? Another pirate gang? Someone else?

Then there was the sound of rushing wind followed by an explosion and the sound of wood and material splintering. The ship however seemed fine though. As far as the king could tell, there wasn't much damage sustained to his own ship.

Despite not being attacked at this moment, the soldiers remained on guard and kept their weapons loaded and ready to defend should it come to that. It would seem that their luck had turned around and they were spared at least a few moments of fighting.

The smoke finally began to clear, and the first rays of light were shining. How long had this been going on?

What he didn't expect to see was the truly amazing sight before him. In fact, the entire crew went silent at the sight of what was in front of them.

It was a dragon, as in not a legend or a fairy tale, but an actual real black dragon. Discounting the wing span, it looked massive. With its wings fully out, it looked truly terrifying, but yet there was also some majestic and elegant about it as well.

The other amazing thing to see was that it wasn't alone. Sitting on its back was a person. A saddle, a backpack, and some tools with him. Looking more closely, Adgar could see that is was a boy.

A boy on a dragon had just saved them. The pirates seemed scared out of their minds as they packed up and left without so much as a look back. The opposing ship, roughly the same size, had clearly seen better days. It looked like it had been struck with fire, really hot fire if the still-lit flames were any indication.

It took the better part of ten minutes for the pirates to take off in a hurry, but neither dragon nor rider stopped eyeing the ship until it was out of sight. The dragon let out another few growls and roars to make the point that if they dared to come back, they could very well be dealing with more than a broken ship.

The boy slid down from the dragon, petting the creature along its head. A very audible pur followed as both rider and dragon interacted. This caused a universal look of wonder among the Arendellians. A legendary creature of great strength and cunning acting like a common house pet.

A few words were muttered from the boy before he turned his head to look at them. Adgar gathered himself and advanced forward cautiously.

"Are you certain about this your majesty?" Captain Miles sounded uncertain. It was justified. "I don't to make presumptions, but we're in a position we know not."

"The boy saved our lives," Adgar replied with conviction, "He deserves at least our gratitude if nothing else. Still, just be ready."

With a collective nod of yes all around, the King of Arendelle turned back to see the boy who watched with mild interest. Years of experience had taught Adgar to read emotions from the smallest of details. His hair was dark brown, very long, but surprisingly neat. His nose was rounded with no real tip to it. His stature was hardly intimidating; he stood barely at Elsa's height and he appeared not to be very muscled at all. His eyes were emerald-colored, a much darker green than Adgar's own eyes.

His attire suggested someone who travelled or was use to travelling, but judging from the limited supplies, this boy couldn't have been on his own for that long.

"Hello," the boy answered timidly. "I hope none of you are too badly injured."

Adgar immediately registered the boy's tongue as Old Norse, a language that was so rarely heard in Norway. Very few people knew of the language anymore and fewer still spoke it at all. It was a language used hundreds of years ago by the ancestors of the Arendellian family. Nobody in the general population spoke it anymore. However, as tradition demanded it, all members of the royal family learned Old Norse in addition to the native language of Norwegian. To hear it from someone who wasn't of Arendelle was unexpected.

Adgar regathered his thoughts. "I have to thank you for saving the lives of my life and the lives of my crew."

"It was nothing really." The lad looked extremely uncomfortable at the compliment. "Toothless spotted the attack on your ship and I thought we should help."

"Toothless?" Adgar raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, you don't know." The rider gestured to the dragon. "This is my dragon and friend, Toothless. He's a Night Fury, one of the last of his kind, I think."

The dragon called Toothless remained sitting a few meters away, but Adgar met the eyes and could see immediately a very intelligent creature. A few warbles and sounds came from the dragon. The rider seemed to listen to this and then turned back.

"He says that pirates are rather easy to deal with if you put fear into them." Hiccup looked a bit amused. "I wouldn't know. I've never been out to sea all that much."

"You can communicate with the drag… Toothless?" Adgar immediately corrected himself. He somehow felt it necessary to acknowledge the Night Fury as a person, not as a simple beast. "That's… quite an amazing thing."

"It's a mental connection," the boy explained, "I can't really say too much about it because it's new, but it helps with communication."

Adgar nodded his head in understanding

"So what is your name, young one?" The king regarded the rider. "Do you hail from somewhere far?"

"My name is...Hiccup." He sounded extremely reluctant to say his name. "I hail from Berk, an island far from this place. We've been travelling for maybe ten days? Maybe more?"

That was quite an awkward name. It was as if his parents had intentionally named him as such in order to further degrade the boy. That was quite disgraceful of his parents if that was the case. Adgar didn't want to jump to conclusions too quickly. He needed to know more before anything more could be said.

"Why did you leave your home?" Adgar tried to remain as neutral as possible. "Aren't you missed by your parents? Your people?"

"No." Hiccup laughed an emotionless laugh. "No person from Berk would ever acknowledge me, not even my father. I may be the son of a Viking, but as long as I can remember, I've never been treated as one."

Viking.

That was a word that Adgar would think he'd never hear outside of the stories he'd read as a little boy. It was thought that the nomadic warriors were long dead, killed off by the changing world. Their way of life was simple and barbaric, and would ultimately never allow them to thrive as civilizations did. So if Vikings still lived, then they had to have settled down as Hiccup had just elaborated. That might explain a few tall tales of Viking sightings over the course of history.

And it partially explained why this boy wasn't accepted. Partially being the key word.

"There has to be more." Adgar put his hands in front of him. "I can't imagine that's all there's to say."

"I don't want to speak of it," Hiccup sighed, "But to make a long story short, I was everything a Viking wasn't: brainy, weak, and prone to accidents. And the final straw was making peace with the enemy."

"The enemy?" The king raised an eyebrow.

"Dragons were the enemy," Hiccup said, "And I was the first to make peace with them in three hundred years."

Toothless looked downtrodden at Hiccup's change in mood. A low moan escaped from the dragon's mouth followed by a sympathetic look. Watching this evoked a sort of reminder for Adgar. This wasn't the first time he'd seen this before.

He was seeing it in his own life right now. In his family.

"In any case," Hiccup regained composure, "I've been travelling, looking for a new place to call home."

Before Adgar could voice anything further, the sound of the men shifting around prompted him to turn and see Iduna, who was quickly doing her best to help the wounded. The Queen of Arendelle was always known among those in the castle to have quite the helping heart. This time was no different.

"Iduna, are you alright?"

The queen looked to her king, finishing bandaging another wound before walking briskly up to him and hugging him tightly.

"That's a question I should be asking you." She spoke into his shoulder. "But I think proper introductions are in order to our savior."

"Hiccup Haddock," the boy repeated. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Apologies for our lack of manners," Iduna quickly responded. "I am Queen Iduna and this is my husband, King Adgar. We hail from the Kingdom of Arendelle. It may have been already said, but we are indebted to you for saving us."

"You don't owe me anything," Hiccup shook his head. "It just felt like the right thing to do. So...I presume the titles mean that you both are rulers? Should I bow?"

"It isn't necessary," Iduna smiled, "But we appreciate your consideration, Hiccup."

"In any case," Adgar continued, "You seek a home. How familiar are you with this region?"

"I know very little." Hiccup's confession came with a bit of a shameful look. "I just wished to see what life would throw my way if I left. I won't be missed at home, and quite frankly, I want to actually make something of myself, not be confined to the smithy, sharpening swords and fixing things."

That instantly began to perk Adgar's interest. "You are a blacksmith?"

"I've been so for about half my life. I started off by fixing weapons and repairing equipment. I branched out into learning mechanical things, learning how to make new equipment because I could see ways to make a difference on Berk. I drew all sorts of things and hung them up on my wall for later. Not all of them worked, but when they did, I was happy."

Hiccup seemed absolutely lit up by his own words. Both the king and queen could see just how much this young man was passionate about his work.

Then his face fell once again. "But no matter how much I made life easier for others, as long as I couldn't hold a weapon, toss a bola, or throw a punch, I was no good to anyone."

Hiccups voice was cracking at the weight of his story, and that made it all the more believable to both the man and woman that stood before him. Both exchanged a look of mutual understanding.

Iduna approached Hiccup. "I'm sorry."

The brown-haired dragon rider to the queen as if he was trying to process the simple gesture of sympathy. If he was having such a hard time with that, then it stood to reason that for most of his life, Hiccup wasn't use to people giving him much of anything, if anything at all.

"I shouldn't be vexing like this," Hiccup shook his head rapidly, "I should go."

One moment, Adgar watched Hiccup begin to leave.

The next, something clicked into his mind.

"Wait."

Hiccup stopped walking, but refused to turn his head to face the people that he saved. Hiccup was use to physical abuse and verbal abuse by the Vikings on Berk. As such, it more or less made him immune to insults. As such, he was prepared for any sort of negative thing that the king and queen might say back. They could've just been playing nice for the sake of him saving their lives. Beyond that, they had no obligation to be nice to him.

But if there was one thing more important to Hiccup than his own self-worth, the one thing that seemed to resonate more in his mind was the longing sound in the voice of the king. It was the same voice that Hiccup had called out to Stoick for so long.

It was the call of longing.

Desperation.

 _:: This is your chance, friend. I suggest you take it. ::_

Hiccup looked to Toothless for the first time since the conversation with the Arendellians, and the look in the dragon's eyes were imploring him to take the bait. The dragon's mouth was turned into a small frown, his eyes wide and bare for the world to see.

Hiccup pressed his lips together tightly.

 _No. I won't be my father. I won't ignore someone in need. I can't._

Hiccup turned around to see a hopeful look in the eyes of both the king and queen. His expression remained neutral.

He waited.

* * *

 **I go for weeks without so much as a peep and then I come back with a longer chapter. Annoying and exciting right?**

 **Just a reminder: chapters will be anywhere from 4,000 - 6,000 words. It really depends on how the story progresses.**

 **But yeah. Hiccup inadvertently saves Adgar and Iduna. He has no idea what's he's done. The action in this was really minimal and I can do far better. Just look at my others stories.**

 **The direction for this story is going to be complicated. As much as I do love a mostly happy story, this story will be mixing it up with some more sad and heavy themes as well. Such is how I role.**

 **I may even decided to change this from T to M rating. I'm not afraid to do some swearing as well as some real gritty stuff. It's not going to happen anytime soon, but it still could happen.**

 **Now that I think about it, the romance in Frozen is far from realistic, at least at first. Anna was naive more or less and that led her to believe that Hans loved her. Still, I can use Anna's unrealistic expectations of romance to my advantage. Look forward to that.**

 **Anyway, what do you guys think of the chapter? Good? Bad? Meh? Tell me and give me ideas and feedback. As I've said, this story is more a side project, but if you guys want to make it a priority, then be sure to support it.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading, and remember:**

 _" **Great acts are made out of small deeds."**_

 **Lao Tzu**

 **Peace out!**


	3. My Friend

Chapter 3: My Friend

 **Arendelle, Norway**

Anna had reached the last straw.

She had absolutely exhausted her patience. There was no more fuel in the fire, only fumes and smoke left. She knew that her parents had important business to attend to and they needed to be away, but how long were they going to be away? They had promised to be back days ago. Even if her parents were the King and Queen of Arendelle, them being in the castle made it all the better.

Lessons with Kai and Gerda were perfectly education, very informative, and integral to her day, Anna would concede that much. But that didn't mean that she liked having to learn every single day. Her parents had always been adamant about how much she needed to know these things. She was a princess after all, and as such, she had the best at her disposal. It would be a waste not to further herself.

Anna wanted more than just the castle. She wanted the world, to see its wonders, to meet people, to explore, to fall in love. All those things in the story books, she wanted those things. She wanted freedom, and if she knew her parents, it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't that they didn't love her, but they said it was for her safety. Anna didn't understand their logic, but she respected her parents enough not to pry.

But that didn't mean she hadn't entertained the thought of asking.

She should be thankful that she wasn't going to be the crown princess. That was Elsa's duty. She wouldn't have to deal with the politicians and national leaders, at least not as often as Elsa. For that, Anna was grateful. And speaking of Elsa, Anna didn't try to think much about Elsa, at least not in terms of wanting to get Elsa out of her room.

As far as the younger sister was concerned, Elsa was firm about not interacting, so Anna would respect that, give her the distance she wanted. Anna would be polite to Elsa as best she could, but by no means were they friends. Her politeness didn't extend beyond necessity. And Anna wasn't really ashamed to admit, at least to herself, that her silence was born out of bitterness.

She didn't wish to think of all this depressing stuff. The problem she was dealing with now was how else was she going to pass the time?

"Princess Anna," Kai spoke crisply, "You are daydreaming again."

Anna groaned very loudly as she remembered that she was suppose to be paying attention to the lessons, not thinking about how she was going to entertain herself later. Well, at least she hadn't fallen asleep. That was the more insulting way to ignore lessons.

"I'm so bored." Anna banged her head on the table. "I want mother and father."

"I know you do, dear," Kai replied softly, "But you know how this works. Your lessons have to be done. Then the fun can come later."

"But I'm not going to be crown princess anytime soon." Anna's voice was muffled in her folded arms. "Why bother in the first place?"

"If anything were to happen to Elsa," Kai explained, "You would have to take the reins. You are the next heir to the throne. Should anything happen to your sister-"

"It would be my place to take over." Anna repeated the same thing whenever she slacked off in her studies. "I know, I've heard it so many times."

"Then I would advise you take this to heart." Kai put down his pointer. "You aren't expected to be queen, but just the same, you should be prepared."

Before the princess could argue to her caregiver any further, the sound of Gerda rushing through the doors focused both their attention on her. The woman looked out of breath, like she had been rushing through the halls to speak to them.

"The King and Queen have returned." She forced a breath in. "They're coming in through the palace docks, not the town docks."

Kai's face looked puzzled. "Princess Anna, our lessons are postponed for the day. You are free to go now."

Anna couldn't be more thankful for this moment. Not only were her parents home, but they had saved her from lessons, albeit only for today. She knew that they would come and greet her, but she wanted to be there first. With as little grace as possible, she dashed from the room and hummed a tune as she went along. Staff members were quick to smile back at her when she greeted them.

She passed by one of the windows to see the courtyard was filled with guards and staff. She stopped to see her parents as they stood out. They looked a bit serious as they talked to members of the council. Anna didn't take long to look before she galloped off again. She went down the spiraling stairs, past the garden, and into the courtyard. Everyone was beginning to disperse just as Anna found her parents.

"Mama! Papa!" She leaped into their arms.

"Anna," they both whispered to her, "We've missed you so much."

"Me too." Anna crushed tighter into them. "Where have you both been? You were gone longer than anticipated."

"We're so sorry, sweetie." Her mother stroked her hair lightly. "We were delayed. Sea travel and the talks dragged it out."

The King and Queen separated from the princess, but kept her close. Looking at them, they seemed unusually happy, like there was another reason for them to be happy besides seeing their youngest daughter. Anna couldn't place what else they were smiling about, but something told her she was about to find out.

"We've also got you a really big present." Anna looked to her father. "We promised you something from our trip."

"What is it?" Anna felt even more eager now than she did moments ago. "What is it?"

"Come with us." Her mother took her by the hand. "It's on the ship."

This made Anna only more excited. They had never asked her to come to the ship when they gave her presents. Whatever it was had to be big or really nice, or both maybe. Anna felt her anticipation rise exponentially with each passing second.

They stopped at the boarding plank of the ship. Anna was confused. She didn't see anything unusual or out of the ordinary.

"What is it?" Anna titled her head. "Is it super small? I can't see it."

"No, dear daughter." Adgar laughed lightly at his daughter's words. "It's quite visible. It's time that you met someone."

The queen called out. "You may come out now, dear boy."

 _Huh?_ Anna was now more confused.

At least for a single moment.

Her time in the castle had taught her to memorize faces and names. She knew the name and faces of virtually all of the castle staff and guards and other important people. Therefore, she didn't see any new faces at all.

To see a completely different person in so many years was something Anna wouldn't forget.

At first, she wasn't sure what to say. From the top of the ship came a boy, who couldn't be that much older than herself. He certainly had a boyish look. His hair, while neat, was still long, much longer than she was use to seeing on a male of any age, and it was very dark brown, much like her mother's hair. His nose was almost button-shaped, very rounded, and smooth. All of these features Anna found to be really cute. His mouth was curved into a nervous smile. It would seem he was nervous, like she was.

When he stood about a yard away or so, she noticed that he wasn't that much taller than herself. Maybe three to five inches taller than herself. Maybe less, but certainly no more. His body wasn't strong-looking by any means, but he certainly looked like he was prepared for a journey. His attire looked to be more suited for cold climates. And probably a good thing too considering Arendelle could experience rather harsh winter seasons.

What made her stare most was his eyes. They were very big emeralds, a green glow that Anna found herself to be immensely drawn to. The princess had once read a book about gemstones. Occasionally, she'd even been able to witness such objects. They were objects of supreme beauty and shape. No other thing on this Earth could ever match it, the princess was certain.

Now though? This boy might just have eyes of divine emerald green. Pure, crystal-clear, and so brilliant. They were beautiful beyond word.

"Princess Anna," Her mother spoke calmly, "This is Hiccup Haddock. Hiccup Haddock, allow us to introduce Princess Anna, our beloved daughter."

"It's-it's a p-pleasure." Hiccup did a slight nod of his head, but not a bow.

Anna recognized his tongue as Nordic. It didn't take long for her to to switch to the older language. It was second nature to her, as her lessons had instilled into her. She might not like her lessons much, but when she was committed to learning, she excelled greatly.

Anna barely recovered from her staring. "Um, h-hi there! I'm A-Anna! So n-n-nice to meet you! You have beautiful eyes!"

The princess quickly realized what she had said and put her hands to her mouth. She felt certain that fire was on her cheeks with the intense heat that she felt around her. Her parents looked amused and this Hiccup, he looked to be bewildered. Was this boy not use to compliments?

"S-s-sorry." Anna moved to apologize hastily. "I'm sorry if I seem a bit jumpy. It's just that you're new and you're cute and you're a boy."

Anna felt herself blushing even more profusely. No, she wasn't ready for this. Whatever she was expecting to get, it certainly wasn't… this.

"I'm s-s-sorry." Hiccup looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. "It's just… I'm not use to c-c-compliments."

"You'll get no end of them from us." Adgar patted the boy on the back. "Anna, we've brought Hiccup here because he was travelling on the sea and he rescued us from pirates."

"Really?" Anna looked now amazed. "You... you did that?"

"Well, that's over exaggerating it a bit." Hiccup smiled nervously, his hands fidgeting. "A-All I did w-was assisted, a bit o-"

Anna did the only thing she could think to do in response to this news. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. As she did, she took note of his body, how it felt against hers. Definitely a lithe form, maybe even too much so, but it was a new feeling. She only hugged her parents and Gerda and Kai on occasion. To hug someone that she didn't know, and someone she thought of as cute?

She felt… something in her. Something lighthearted.

Her entire body felt so scattered. Her heartbeat was erratic.

Anna moved away, her arms in front of her. She smiled from ear to ear, and knew herself to be quite flush with color, but this time with happiness rather than with embarrassment. The boy looked truly at a loss at the contact.

"Thank you, Hiccup." She then thought about his name. "What a strange name."

"Could be worse."

"Perish the thought."

 _Oh I like this one._ Anna somehow felt a sort of instant connection. _I won't let go of this one easily._

"Can we be friends, mother, father?" Anna turned to her parents. "Please, pretty please?"

"We've actually arranged for Hiccup to live here in the castle for now." Her father nodded at her request. "Daughter, we know you've grown lonely in the castle, so our gift to you is a friend. You need one."

Anna didn't know what to say. What could she say that would account for what she had been given? What words were the equal to that of a friend in her life? There were none, but she tried to show her appreciation nonetheless as she hugged them both again. Tightly.

"But there is one more thing." Iduna gestured to the ship. "Hiccup, I think you should show her."

Hiccup offered Anna a hand, and she shly allowed him to take her hand. She noted the texture, which was rougher than she thought. He must be a hard worker. That was a very unusual thing. It felt so… alien, but not unpleasant in any way.

The boy carefully led her onto the ship, where found herself gasping at something else. Sitting on the deck of the ship was a dragon. She had deduced it to be a dragon because he had four limbs, two giant wings, and a tail. He appeared to be licking himself like a cat. Anna was mesmerized by this strange creature.

Then it made eye contact with her, and fear welled up in her, prompting her footsteps to halt as she remained frozen in place. That look in its eyes, it was… human, not animalistic. She could see so much of a person in this dragon.

A slight tug at her hand made her look to Hiccup.

"It's okay, princess." Hiccup beckoned her forward. "This is Toothless, my friend."

The dragon called Toothless crooned twice, to which she the girl had to giggle at. Now she knew why he was called Toothless.

"Would you like to touch him?"

"Could I?" Anna looked to her new friend. "Will he let me?"

"Of course. Just let me guide you." Hiccup gently pulled her forward. "There's no need to be afraid."

Hiccup shifted his hold on her hand, and grabbed her wrist. She inched forward, her body brushing slightly against his. They both looked at each other in an odd way, then they remembered what they were doing.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat.

"Uh, right!" Anna resumed her attention.

The thirteen-year old girl held her palm out with Hiccup supporting her still. Toothless watched her, his big green eyes watching her innocently. The dragon moved his head forward. When she felt the warm scales against her skin, any fear or doubt disappeared into the wind. She even began to scratch and pat the monster.

"Hello there, big guy." Anna cooed softly. "I think I like you already."

"And he likes you too." Hiccup said with much enthusiasm. "I think we're all gonna be just fine."

"I take it all is well?" Adgar asked amusingly.

"Yes father." Anna looked back. "This is… I don't know what to say. I don't deserve this."

"Yes you do, dear girl." Iduna shook her head. "We've shut you away from the world long enough. It's time you had some friends, however unorthodox."

She stopped looking for the right words to say, yet couldn't

There was no need, but she hugged both her parents again.

* * *

 **Later**

The castle had to be informed of the two new guests. Most were scared of Toothless at first glance, but they softened when they saw the princess interact with the dragon and the boy. The King had explain the circumstances as to why the boy was being given a home here. After that, nobody asked any further questions. As far as they were concerned, Hiccup and Toothless were already a hero in their eyes.

Hiccup, for the most part, awed at the castle. Never in his life had he seen anything so grand. So much space, so many people, and so much color. It was just so much more… interesting than his old Viking roots, more complex. Something that was certainly quite the spectacle, but still understandable to him.

All the people here, they were more or less accepting of him. Nobody commented on his size or his weight or his lack of muscle. It felt… strange to not be called out on those things. It would seem that he fit in here more than he realized. How strange indeed.

Toothless followed closed behind his rider, trying not to make much commotion. It was decided that since Hiccup was going to be here, Toothless also should be introduced. The staff and various people in the castle were curious, maybe a bit jumpy, but to Hiccup, this was a big leap from the violent ways of the Vikings. He could work on trust later.

This new life he and Toothless had been given took him off his feet in many ways. He wasn't sure why he was being given so much after life had seen fit to make him miserable.

Perhaps all those years of living as he did were a means to prepare him for this.

Maybe it was just luck.

The King and Queen and the princess had taken to the hallways to show the boy and the dragon around the castle. Hiccup followed close behind, trying hard not to do anything offending, though he wasn't sure how best to do this considering he was ill-educated in the mannerisms of Arendelle. Toothless warbled here and there at the new sights and sounds. Both rulers insisted that he was doing just fine as he was, and that Toothless was doing fine as well. Proper and specific etiquettes could be taught with time, they had said.

"This is the main room right here." The King parted the doors for both the children. "Our officials, various officers, and other people of importance gather here to discuss matters of great import."

How many people did serve these rulers? This room was truly massive, bigger than the homes in Berk, even his father's home. That in itself was quite the amazement. Then there were the decorations in the castle, which were quite ornate. Everywhere he went, Hiccup could see shiny decorations, colorful walls, intricate patterns and designs. It only inspired his creative mind more and more.

"I've never seen anything quite like this before." Hiccup turned his whole body to witness the entirety of the space. "It's so massive, not what I'm use to."

 _:: It's been some time since I've witness structures this large. ::_ Toothless's 'voice' was only heard by Hiccup.

"Perhaps lunch would be a good idea?" Queen Iduna ushered the boy to the door.

"Yes, I think so." That did sound good about now to him. "So what are there for options?"

"Perhaps something familiar to start." Adgar responded. "Fish seems to be something you're familiar with, you and Toothless, so maybe a variation."

Hiccup nodded in agreement and Toothless crooned in approval. The King and Queen showed only a bit of hilarity at this display.

"We got the best of the best." Anna chimed in. "I promise you, you won't be disappointed."

Hiccup, led by the royal family, found himself in the dining room, sitting in a place where he felt that he didn't belong. Heck, he didn't really belong anyplace in this castle. Compared to everyone within the castle, his clothes might as well be rags. Even with his limited worldly knowledge, Hiccup could see that clearly.

"I'll stay with Hiccup and Toothless." Anna took a seat beside him. "We'll talk."

"Alright then. You three wait there." Both Adgar and Iduna nodded.

There was only the sound of a door opening and closing before Anna took to conversation. Toothless took a seated position behind the chairs of the two teenagers. His head went from Hiccup to Anna.

"So why don't you have any friends, Princess Anna?" Hiccup tried to keep the timidity out of his voice. "You seem like a great person."

The girl beside him gave him a look that suggested she was trying to come up with something to say. "Honestly… I got no idea. You'd have to ask our parents about that."

His expression changed into a confused one. Why wouldn't anyone want to befriend this girl? She was bright, cheerful, and mostly sunshine and flowers from what he could see thus far. And if he was being honest, she was pretty, a different vision of beauty than what he was use to seeing. A lot different from Astrid.

 _But Astrid wouldn't care._ Hiccup sighed mentally. _It was probably just as well._

 _:: Hiccup, enough reminiscing. You promised to move one. Do so. ::_ Toothless gave a frown.

Hiccup shook his head, getting rid of the bitter memories.

"Well, I'm here now." He let a smile plaster his face. "I guess this is our new home, seeing as your parents think that we deserve that much."

"My parent aren't grateful for nothing. Trust me, you two are not intruding." Anna returned the smile. "And don't look so stiff. It's your home now."

"Yes princess."

"And stop calling me princess, silly. I'm Anna, your friend."

"Anna." He tested her name alone. "It's a nice name."

 _:: Anna. At least it's a name that's not silly. ::_

Hiccup didn't let his annoyance show, instead focusing on the fact that he'd never seen a girl blush in his entire life. And for the first time today, he'd seen a girl do it several times. For once, he was an equal in this conversation, not the one at a disadvantage. Still, he knew better than to push what was given to him.

He would test the waters very precariously.

"So HICCUP." She emphasized his name, then giggled. "What do you do for fun?"

"When I'm am... was an apprentice blacksmith." Hiccup chuckled at the thought and memory of Gobber. "I build things. Crazy things."

"Like?" Anna might as well be sitting in his chair with how close she was.

"Well, here let me show you." Hiccup carefully pulled his journal from his tunic. "These are rough, just ideas I put on paper."

Anna practically was glued to his side as she flipped through the various pages of drawings. This was the first time that he'd let anyone other than Gobber see his drawings. Back at Berk, he might've been ridiculed for even trying. Here in Arendelle, he might be scoffed at for coming up with things likely already invented.

Hiccup braced himself for what he assumed to be the inevitable backlash that he'd receive. Her silence and her critical eye looked through what he had done. Doubt began to creep up on him.

"I think these are wonderful."

He did a double-take

"What?"

She gave him the same smile. "These are wonderful."

"You… you really think so?" Surely his ears couldn't be playing tricks on him. "You like these?"

"What's not to like?" Anna pointed to one of his designs. "They're quite easy to follow, drawn simply, but elegantly, and to be honest, some of these things I'm seeing here I've never heard of before. And you say you're a Viking?"

For the first time in a very long time, Hiccup was left truly astounded at this girl. Such words that he longed to hear more. Such words he wanted to hear from someone, anyone. Such words brought so much joy to his heart.

"I can't remember the last time anyone has ever said that I actually had a good idea." Hiccup's breath was soft. "So long."

"Nobody's ever complimented you before?" Now it was her turn to look shocked. "How could anyone ever doubt such an inventive mind?"

"Vikings don't appreciate intelligence." Hiccup bowed his head, looking into his lap. "Just brute strength, something I don't have."

 _:: And don't I know this fact quite well. ::_ Toothless almost sounded sarcastic.

"Well, they were blind." Anna's voice carried much conviction. "Physical strength doesn't make a person. It's what's in here that matters."

She placed hand to his heart, and the sensation left him tingling with warmth and something else. It was sensation that Hiccup knew of, but he wasn't ready to acknowledge for a second time.

"Thank you, Anna." Hiccup intoned lightly. "I'm glad that you're my friend."

 _:: And what about me? ::_ Toothless let a huff of air out.

Hiccup got up and patted Toothless. "You too, buddy, but Anna can be your friend as well. You'd let her be that much, won't you?"

Toothless shook his head in disagreement. It could've been mock-disagreement.

Then Hiccup watched Anna step forward, her eyes carrying the most innocent look possible. The Night Fury saw these eyes and faltered, his eyes considering the girl.

A moment of silence.

Then a black head hanging in resignation.

 _:: I suppose another human won't do harm. ::_

"He says yes." Hiccup reported to Anna.

"YES!" Anna hugged Toothless's head. "You two are the best!"

 _:: Well, she's… spirited. ::_ Toothless shook her off.

"Sorry. Excited." Anna looked really giddy. "I'll calm down… eventually."

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged a knowing glance.

"Who's hungry for a basket of fish?"

Only one individual here could eat that much.

Toothless ignored his human companions in favor of something very delectable.

* * *

 **Night Time…**

Anna and Hiccup spent a good majority of the afternoon playing with Toothless in the courtyard. Only the usual guards were there to witness this; they were put off by the dragon at first, but they softened when they saw the creature acting like a house pet.

The princess hadn't had this much fun since she was a little kid with Elsa. It felt so good to break lose and relive the childhood still inside of her. Anna knew that it was still there, but without someone to share the fun with, it wasn't the same as playing by herself. The memories of playtime with Elsa still did make her smile, even if the more recent memories of Elsa brought a grimace to her face.

But the fun had to end for the day as she and Hiccup were called back to the castle by the Queen. They hadn't realized quite how long they'd been playing. The sun had long ended its time and the full moon was out. The only light sources were that of candles held by guards and varous lamp posts lit up before dark.

"So did you two have fun?" Iduna asked. "Are we to say this was a resounding success?"

"Yes, mama!" Anna did a twirl. "Best day ever!"

"It's at least the best day in a long time." Hiccup wiped his brow of sweat. "It certain has been a while since I've played like this."

Toothless pushed his nose into Anna and she petted him, and she got a purr in response.

"And Toothless enjoyed it too." Hiccup followed with Toothless's thoughts.

"Well, you three will have much more to bond over, I'm sure." Iduna opened the door for them. "But some sleep is in order. Anna, you may retire to your room. I will show Hiccup to his room."

"But I wanna be with Hiccup and Toothless more!" Anna did her best pout possible.

"Anna!" Iduna half-scolded, half-laughed. "There will be time tomorrow. Please do as I say."

Seeing that she wasn't going to be given a choice in the matter, Anna simply hugged her mother, and the queen returned the embrace with much enthusiasm.

"I love you, my darling girl." Iduna whispered. "So much."

"I love you too mama." Anna spoke into her mother's robes.

"Then go and have pleasant dreams."

"You too!"

Anna then saw Hiccup out of the corner of her eyes, and she raced forward to give him a hug.

"Good night, Hiccup! I had fun! I-I h-hope you did too?"

She felt arms at her back. "I did. But I'm more glad you had fun."

They moved from each other slightly, Anna playing with her hair and Hiccup running a hand through his hair. There was that feeling again.

Toothless made a sound of disgust, Anna had to surmise, and that made her want to vacate this area with much haste.

"S-stop that, Toothless!"

"Yeah, you useless reptile!"

Iduna laughed.

"Pl-pleasant dr-dreams!" Anna made her way to the door.

"A-and to you as w-well." Hiccup gave her a wave.

It felt good to know that she wasn't the only nervous one.

With a last glance, she began to race through the halls back to her room. It was the a wonderful day, and she looked forward to tomorrow.

She didn't even look at Elsa's door in her blissful mod.

* * *

 **A few minute later…**

Hiccup and Toothless trailed the queen as she led them to their intended room. Hiccup might not have much to say about his accommodations because he didn't wish to sound greedy, but he was vocal about the fact that he and his mount would sleep together. Both Adgar and Iduna had no objections to this, much to Hiccup's relief.

His day had been beyond a simple day. It was exceptional, and then some. This was on another level entirely, this state of category of happiness.

Toothless, though he wouldn't admit it, was also sharing a similar mood. Clearly the Night Fury liked playing.

"I see that enjoyed the day very much, you two." Iduna's voice was heard by both boy and dragon. "Anna has taken quite the liking to you both."

"And we have to her as well." Hiccup said.

"I had high hopes." Iduna slowed her place marginally. "Adgar will be most jovial about this. Heavens know that Anna deserves better than this."

That made Hiccup replay Anna's words. "If it's not too much to ask, my queen, why is Anna confined like this?"

"Please, just Iduna will do in private." The woman beamed. "And to answer your question, it's nothing to do with Anna. It's a matter concerning her sister."

"Princess Elsa." Hiccup recalled the elder princess's name from the return trip to Arendelle.

"Yes. Elsa is different than most people born into the world." Iduna's voice seemed distant, almost afraid. "I'm afraid that mere words can't convey the situation that we deal with."

"I see." Hiccup didn't feel the need to press. It sounded like a touchy subject. "I just wanted to help."

"Trust me, Hiccup," the queen responded, "You'll get your chance soon enough. We don't mean to keep secrets from you. In fact, we think you might be the only one that can alleviate this problem that ails our eldest daughter should you choose to help."

 _:: This sounds very serious ::_ Toothless's words mirrored Hiccup's thoughts.

"If I can help, then I will." Hiccup was quick to give an answer. "I owe that much."

"Dear boy, never feel the pressure to help us. We couldn't do that."

"It's just the right thing to do."

Iduna stopped in front of a door, looking to the boy, then to the dragon, who nodded his head in agreement.

"Thank you. Both of you." She gestured her hand. "Here is your room. We can discuss more tomorrow."

With a bid goodnight, both the adventurers closed the door behind them and surveyed their sleeping arrangements. Hiccup took sight of the rather opulent-looking bed. It was about twice the size of his bed in Berk. Nearby the bed, there was a circle of pack-in dirt encased with a metal-shaped circle, which elevated about a foot off the ground. And still they had room left.

It was clear who slept where.

Toothless immediately jumped to his sleeping place and fired his breath at the dirt, warming it enough for him to settle down comfortably. Hiccup changed into his own sleepwear before sitting down on the edge of the bed, nothing how soft it was.

"Well, bud, I'd say we've got a home now."

 _:: That we do. It would seem luck is with us this day. ::_

"I just hope to make the most outta this life."

 _:: So do I, friend. So do I. But enough talk, let us sleep. ::_

With a final gruff, Toothless curled himself into a ball before closing his eyes.

Hiccup followed suit, falling asleep with an empty stomach, but a full heart.

* * *

 **It's been too long. I'm sorry that this story isn't updating faster, but other stories as well as more pressing life priorities has me scrambling a bit. Apologies for any grammar problems and other such errors.**

 **The feedback I'm getting so far is good, so unless I really mess up, I'm staying the course. The three main characters are Hiccup, Anna, and Toothless. Though I do believe Elsa was slowly become a main character as well. Look forward to that because I've got some neato stuff in store.**

 **So what did you guys think of this chapter? Good? Bad? Meh? Leave a review with your thoughts. And if you want to see more, be sure to favorite and follow. Remember, the more support this story gets, the more of a priority it becomes for me.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter, and remember:**

" _ **We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature."**_

 **Voltaire**

 **Peace out!**


	4. Arendelle Skybound

Chapter 4: Arendelle Skybound

 **Arendelle**

 **Early morning...**

Even if Hiccup was far from Berk, he couldn't shake old habits. For starters, he was up early, like at the crack of dawn early. Dragon attacks on the village had trained even him to be a light sleeper, able to be up when all hell broke lose.

But this wasn't hell that he once called home. This was Arendelle, and he was in the royal castle, his new home. That was going to take getting use to.

It was barely light outside, and Hiccup knew better than to try and go back to sleep. He knew that he would be twisting and turning for hours if he did. So with a repressed sigh, he sat on the edge of the bed, noting just how comfortable he'd felt moments ago and that he suddenly regretting moving. Never before had he slept on something so comfortable; nothing had ever come close.

Toothless was awake too, and looked like he was restless. It was clear that the two of time weren't going to be able to stay docile for long if they didn't get out and get their blood pumping.

"How about a morning ride, bud?"

The Night Fury nodded his head with enthusiasm.

Now there was the matter of actually getting out there without making too much of a scene. Hiccup wouldn't discount the very likely possibility that someone was already awake. This was a castle after all, and though he didn't know the logistics of how to keep a castle maintained, but there were bound to be dozens of people working here. This place was beyond large.

Arendelle, so far, had a way of impressing him.

After checking to make sure Toothless's harness and everything was secured tightly, Hiccup slipped into his own flight gear and peeked his head throughout the hallways. Seeing that the coast was clear, he gestured for Toothless to follow. The two of them kept their footsteps light. People were asleep, and

When Hiccup heard the sound of talking incoming, he thought quickly. He wanted to make himself and Toothless obvious, and not take the people by surprise. With a hand up, both of them halted.

Around the corner came a man and a woman, both of them very round in figure, but still finely-dressed and moved with a sort of grace that attempted to mirror that of Adgar and Iduna, though Hiccup would say nobody was like the two rulers.

When they spotted him, they stopped their conversation and faced him as if expecting him, and not a trace of fear, or if there was, they did a good job of hiding it.

Hiccup looked to Toothless, and Toothless did his best to shrug. So with a sense of normality, or as close to it as he could feel, he approached the two of them as casually as he could despite Toothless at his side.

"Hello there." Hiccup sounded timid, brushing some hair aside. "I don't think we've been introduced."

"No, we haven't dear boy." The man stepped forward, his Nordic tongue perfect. "I am Kai and this is Gerda."

Kai held a hand out, and Hiccup didn't hesitate to return the gesture as quick as he could, using what strength he did have.

"Hiccup, but I'm sure you knew that already."

"That we did, and your friend is Toothless."

The boy nodded.

So far, so good.

"I take it you are both servants of this, uh, castle?" Hiccup tried his best to talk normally, but conversation wasn't exactly his forte. "You seem the part."

"We've been at the castle since before both the princesses were born." Gerda stepped forward. "We've been their caretakers for their whole lives."

"I, uh, see." Hiccup felt a bit at a loss. "I'm sorry if I've interrupted your conversation. I was just… heading out for some air. Toothless and I thought we might take a morning flight to get us going for the day."

"Yes, of course." Both of them stepped aside. "Don't let us stop you both."

Hiccup nodded his approval and ushered Toothless forward, who gave the two servants a curious stare before following Hiccup in strides. While it had been a good acquaintance, there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

 _I suppose I'll see them again, and maybe I'll find out._ Hiccup wasn't terribly concerned, just inquisitive. _Judging by their builds and descriptions, they likely are Elsa and Anna's caretakers, so maybe they're to be my caretakers as well. Who knows?_

Hiccup, with a few twists and turns and stairs, finally saw the main gates to the courtyard. He'd have to make a better mental map of this place, explore it a bit more. Anna would know where to go, he was sure. Perhaps if there was time today, he would ask her to give her a more thorough tour.

"Morning flight, I take it?" That voice could only be one person.

Hiccup turned his head to see the queen making her way to them both. As customary, he did his own bow.

Iduna laughed. "Hiccup, please. There's no need for formality when we're in private. In public, I would ask you do so for the sake of tradition and less headaches."

"Sorry, my queen." He rose to his feet.

"And you may call me Iduna in private as well." Iduna gently patted his head. "I have a feeling that you're not one to be all formal."

"No, I guess not." Hiccup laughed nervously. "But this is a new land I'm in. I need to get use to the culture and customs before I can become casual."

The only people outside were the guards in their usual places. The sight of a dragon that blended in with the shadows of the night unnerved them, but the sight of a boy and the queen beside the mighty creature made them calm down.

"Is there anything that I or Adgar should know about these flights?" The queen looked on to see Hiccup mounting. "I trust that you've flown long enough to know better than us what to do, but I feel I should ask."

"If I think of something, I'll inform you two immediately." The dragon rider inspected his gear before looking at her. "But no, I don't believe there's anything you need to know about."  
"Alright." She stepped back. "Is there a particular time of day that you and Toothless wish to fly, or are these spur of the moment?

"Toothless and I usually do these things on a whim." Hiccup patted his friend on the back of the neck. "If we're needed for anything, we can always find a specific time to fly."

"For now, we only ask that you be the friend Anna deserves," Iduna looked to a nearby window. "She usually is a late riser, so you have quite a lot of time."

"I should return some time before midday." Hiccup clicked his foot into place. "Is that too long?"  
"No, it should be fine. Enjoy your ride." Iduna stepped back, her hands folded in front of her. "Adgar and I will be here when you return."

With a final check, and a final nod to the queen, Hiccup motioned and Toothless spread his wings, and with a few flaps, began to gain altitude. Though Hiccup's vision paled in comparison to the Night Fury, he still was able to get a grasp on their general direction.

The former Viking watched as the castle grew smaller until he could hold it in his hands. A bit more altitude, and they began to level out. This flight was more of a reason for Hiccup and Toothless to get to know a bit of the landscape surrounding the castle.

"So what do you see, bud?" Hiccup leaned back a bit. "What's the landscape like?"

 _:: This is quite a different landscape than what I've seen in the archipelago. More refined buildings, more people, a much more colorful place. ::_

"Maybe I'll ask the king and queen if I can go visit the town, get to know some people." Hiccup gazed down at the dimly-lit ground. "I'm hopeful they'll let me go occasionally."

 _:: We shall see. T'is most fortunate that they are accepting of my presence. ::_

"Yeah, the last thing we need is more dragon haters."

 _:: I've no doubt there will be those who disagree with the king and queen, but their support in us is paramount. If they agree to house and shelter us, then so too will their subjects agree with it for the most part. So long as we prove that we're capable and can aid in a way, we'll always be welcomed. ::_

"Agreed." Hiccup lifted his arms up to feel the air. "It's so much warmer here, more than I'm use to."

A purr was his only response, a warm response.

Life on Berk was undeniably sporadic in terms of weather, and that made it a difficult place to live at times, but given enough time, one got use to the weather, even adapted well to it. Hiccup's body had been conditioned to survive in the extreme cold and the extreme heat and everything in between. Really, he could survive better than those who lived in temperate environments for most of their lives.

What gave off that it was a warmer environment was the feeling of the wind all around him. It was a bit hard to notice at first glance, but as the continuous feeling surrounded him, he could feel the difference. However subtle the feeling, it was still felt by him

This warmth reached to him on more than a physical level. The atmosphere all around felt so calming, nothing that he had ever experienced. Even when not in the midst of a dragon attack, life on Berk was seldom quiet and calm. There was always the need to be doing something to help the tribe. Then again, Vikings weren't known to be quiet people at all, and in some respect, Hiccup wasn't a quiet person.

"You reckon we'd fit in here?" Hiccup looked down at the two below them. "I mean, sure this place seems calm, but fear can be a powerful thing."

 _:: Then teach them not to fear. You did it with me. Why not with others? The King and Queen seem more or less able to do so. ::_

"I think we may have gotten lucky in this case, but I want to air on the side of caution. The last thing I need is to lose you, bud."

 _:: You clearly need more friends. ::_

"Yeah, no kidding" The boy felt a bit defensive. "And speaking of that, what's your impression of Anna?"

 _:: She is very… spirited, energized. ::_

"I wonder how she does it." Hiccup crossed his arms in thought. "I've never seen anyone like her before."

The duo didn't know much about Arendelle's people, but what they could see was that Anna's vast amounts of energy weren't of the norm.

A gust of wind made Hiccup close his eyes and let the cold air flow through his entire body. He felt better than okay for once. He felt free for the first time in… well, forever. No longer was he bound to a life of eternal shaming. Certainly he wasn't expecting all happy things, but even a few happy things in life was better.

Toothless pumped his neck up and down, all the while making a strange roar. Hiccup heard this and bent down to pat his friend.

"What's up, bud?" Hiccup said in the large ear. "Something wrong?"

Toothless shook his head, simply roaring again to indicate that his mood was very good. That also made the former Viking's spirits lift.

There were a lot of things that were giving him reasons to look at the bright side in life. For once, he felt a sustained feeling of elation.

 _Maybe I never was meant to be a Viking to begin with. Maybe this is the sort of place that I belong in._

Just maybe he was somewhere he could stand to stay for a good long while.

 **(X)(X)(X)(X)**

 **Later that morning...**

Anna had woken up hours ago, but she was in no mood to get up. How could she get up? Her bed felt like the most divine thing in the whole world right now. It felt so soft, so warm, and so comfortable. Whoever had created the beds were geniuses and the princess would love to meet them and talk.

No, she could not, would not leave.

Then the door knocked.

"Princess Anna, it's time to get up." That was Gerda at the door. "The day's already started."

"Just fifteen more minutes." Anna yawned, stretched, they laid back down again. "Ten minutes. Five minutes."

"I must insist that you get up now." Gerda wasn't deterred. "Everyone is up right now."

"They don't need me." Anna sat up. She had to eventually, but better to go down fighting, right?

"Well, perhaps you would be more interested in getting up if I said that your newest friend was up and waiting for you."

"My newest friend." Anna registered the words, yet didn't fully comprehend them.

Then she remembered what happened yesterday.

She gasped. "Hiccup!"

Forgetting her bed entirely, she quickly got dressed and rushed down the hallway. She might've mixed up some socks, but that was the last thing on her mind right now. The first thing to do was grab a bite to eat and then.

Then she could find Hiccup and the fun could begin.

In her rushed state, it didn't occur to Anna that she had no idea where her friend was at all, having failed to ask Gerda or anyone else. It was only when she reached the main hall did she stop and realize that.

"Oh man." She snapped her fingers. "I forgot to ask."

"Then it's a good thing that I'm here." Her father's voice came from behind her. "Anna, you really must think a bit more before doing."

"Sorry, papa." Anna turned to face him, blushing at his words. "I'll work on it."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." He patted her on the head. "But to answer where Hiccup is, he went on a ride with Toothless."

"Without me?" Anna whined. "So not fair!"

"Anna, let's not get out of hand." Adgar replied. "He's a dragon rider. You aren't."

"But I wanna ride a dragon!" Anna pouted.

"Maybe you can one day, but not now."

"Hmph."

It was then that the sound of flapping made them turn towards the main doors. Looking at each other once, they took to see what was going on. Both father and daughter had an idea as to what was making the noise.

They opened the door just in time to see Toothless make a graceful landing, and on his saddle sat Hiccup, his hair a complete mess probably due to the ride. He looked like he had just returned from the greatest journey of his life if his wide grin was anything to go by.

Although Anna found envy clawing at her, she also saw the fact that he had such a smile as a good thing. He could have fun, and that's what she wanted.

She didn't wait for the king to follow and took off to meet dragon and rider.

Hiccup dismounted from his mount and did a quick check on the fight equipment before turning his attention to Anna. Toothless, knowing that he was being watched, sat down, displaying a somewhat upright posture.

"Good morning!" Anna said in her native tongue. "And how are you two?!"

Both Hiccup and Toothless looked at her confused, then to each other, and the boy shrugged his shoulders.

Anna almost felt like facepalming herself, so she tried again.

"Good morning." She spoke in nordic. "How are you two this morning?"

"Oh, now I understand you." Hiccup look relieved. "For a second there, I thought we were gonna play a guessing game."

Toothless let out a grunt of agreement.

"Sorry about that." Anna looked to the ground. "I forgot that you're not native speakers. We'll work on it."

"But to answer your question, I'm great!" Hiccup patted Toothless. "What about you, bud?"

Toothless crooned lightly to show he was in good spirits.

"See?" Hiccup gestured. "We're good."

"I am pleased to hear that." Anna smiled back. "Sorry that I missed you two this morning."

"It's all good." Hiccup didn't sound disappointed. "This is getting to be a routine for me and Toothless."  
"Do you… do you think you could take me up one day?" Anna fidgeted with her hands in front of her. "I mean, maybe one day?"

She didn't want to come across as desperate, but she really did want to know what the feeling was like to be up in the sky like a flying creature. She wanted to know what both Hiccup and Toothless felt when they were up there.

"If you parents don't mind, why not?" Hiccup nodded his head. "But I will warn you, it's not for the feint of heart."

"I'm not afraid!" Anna exclaimed. "I'm ready for anything!"

"You've got heart, I'll give you that." Hiccup amusement at Anna's insistence was a good sign. "Alright, then I'll talk with your father. We'll see from there."

Anna embraced him tightly by the neck and held him close to herself.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She couldn't say it enough. "Please talk as soon as you can!"

"I promise." Hiccup lightly patted her on the back. "But now, I think you dad and I have to talk."

It was then Anna realized how close they were and backed away, flushing immensely. "Of course! Don't mind me!"

Oh how embarrassing that she hugged a boy like this in plain view of, well, everyone. It wasn't that the princess was afraid to be open, but this was something new for her entirely. Her first real friend was a boy, and well, he was kind of cute.

Did she say that in her head or out loud.

She recomposed herself and dusted the imaginary dirt on her dress. Nope, nothing was wrong. She was fine.

But that flush in her cheeks needed to go.

Right now.

"Anna." That musical voice of her mother came to her ears. "Come, it's time for your morning lessons."

Those words made Anna's flush go away, but then replaced it with a sense of disappointment and frustration.

Stupid lessons. She wanted to have fun.

If she worked hard today, she would play hard today.

She would get to play with Hiccup.

Her mind set on her goal, she tried her best to get the tedious nature of lessons from not getting her mood down.

Today, she had to recall the history of Arendelle some three hundred years back. Kings and queens of a time long gone, it was something that was interesting in some respect, yet distant and would likely stay in her mind as ultimately trivial knowledge. Frankly, she didn't see how history repeated itself.

Anna's mother said it was because she was young and didn't fully understand because she didn't have life experience, so the girl just took the words for what they were, but she still didn't like being called naive.

She was so not naive.

"Here we are." Her mother opened the door. "I'll be teaching you this lesson today."

That made this a little easier to bear.

"Now then, history lessons." The queen took a seat. "What do you recall about our history, Anna?"

Anna took a seat next to her mother in the study. "Arendelle has existed for over five-hundred years." She paused, then resumed. "The first hundred years, Arendelle had a hard time until they began trading with other nations."

"It is due to these things that Arendelle has prospered well." The mother further elaborated. "Without these trade routes, our economy would be severely hampered."

"Every member of the family who's ascended to the throne has contributed at least one major trade route." Anna knew this to be important. "It's the reason our kingdom enjoys a high standard of living and a good quality of life."

"And any kingdom needs the support of their people in order to remain intact." Iduna concluded. "Well, I can see that you've not drifted off completely."

"I suppose it's cool to read history." Anna said. "It's like reading a story book, and I like stories."

"Well, I'm glad that you like history." The brown-haired woman sighed lightly. "I only wish you'd take your other subjects just as seriously."

"I'm trying, mama." Anna tried to defend herself. "I really am."

"I know, Anna, and I suppose it's all I can really ask from you. You're not expected to ascend to the throne, so you're right in some respect."

"And I don't think I'd be able to handle all that work. Seeing you and papa work all day makes me tired."

"Believe me, sweetie, the feeling is mutual between your father and myself, but it's for the good of our people and our family."

"I understand."

"Good, and don't underestimate yourself. When the time comes, you'll be able to do astounding things. You just need to believe that you can and commit to making yourself better. Most things take work to build up."

Anna understood for the most part.

"I understand these lessons can be boring, but don't discount their wisdom. They prepare us for how to become rulers of the people."

"I guess, I don't really know."

"One day, you will."

"But I wanna go play more than anything!"

"You'll get your chance to play with Hiccup. And speaking of the boy, I have something for you to do with him."

"What?" Anna lifted her head.

"If he's going to live in Arendelle, in the castle, he needs to know how to speak the language." Iduna got up and began to rummage through a shelf. "As the person who's similar in age to him, I think you can teach him how to speak our tongue."

"Can I?" Anna looked shocked. "I don't know if I can do it."

"I think you can." The queen didn't falter in her conviction for her daughter. "But you won't be the only one teaching him. Gerda and Kai will also help him grow, but something tells me he'll make a find student."

"So what do I do?" Anna inquired.

"Just get him started." The queen sat back down next to Anna, opening the book she had gotten. "Teach him how to have a conversation with a person. You might also want to teach him how to read and write our language too."

"This is a lot for me to do." Anna felt a bit shaky. "I don't know how to teach."

"Consider it a learning experience for you and for Hiccup." Iduna tried another angle. "Think about it: you'd be doing a friend a favor and making his transition easier."

That made Anna lift up. Yes, she wanted to be the best friend possible, and if this could help him, then she would do it somehow. No, she didn't have a plan or an idea of how to go about this new task set upon her, but she was determined to do it.

"I'll do my best." Anna announced fiercely. "I promise."

"Don't overextend yourself, daughter. Just do what you can and come to us for help when you require it."

"Okay, mama."

"Now then, shall we continue on?"

There would be a few more hours of lessons to get to before midday. Those hours could be long or short. Today, Anna felt that they were short. She paid full attention, asked questions, and acted like a good student. She wanted to get through this so that she could get to the part that she really wanted. It was a good motivator for her.

Anna didn't really know much about friends and how they worked, but surely friends appreciated getting help. She knew that she appreciated the gesture that Hiccup was making in asking if it was okay for her to fly with him.

She looked forward to it.

 **(X)(X)(X)(X)**

Hiccup followed Adgar closely. The two of them stood side-by-side. It was like comparing the two of them.

One was a man dressed in an impeccable suit with not a single thing out of place. The other was of a boy who dressed in a more modest outfit designed with less sophistication but with respectability.

The king said that if Hiccup was to adjust, there would be something he would need to get use to, though the boy didn't question or complain. He had been given a home, and courtesy just seemed like the best thing to do.

The outfit, he was told, was befitting of a noble person. He didn't know what that title meant, but he figured he'd learn it soon. It had to mean something important judging by how the others looked at him like a person that deserved attention rather than a simple boy with a dirtied and muddled dragon rider dress state.

Entering the king's study proved to be somewhat nerve-wracking for Hiccup. He didn't get the feeling that there was anything bad that was going to happen here, but there definitely seemed to be something on the king's mind.

"Would you close the door please?" Adgar called back.

Doing as he was instructed to do, Hiccup gently closed the door, hearing the snapping sound to know that it was in place.

Looking around the room, the young boy couldn't help but be impressed by it. Even if the purpose of this place was simply for the king to do paperwork or read books after a long day, it was decorated in a way that just elevated it above a simple study.

Was there any part of the castle that didn't scream ornate?

"I see that you're taking in the sights quite well." Adgar commented when Hiccup didn't say anything. "It's understandable."

"I'm sorry, your majesty." Hiccup apologized. "I was just curious. I like to observe things."

"In private, you may address me as Adgar." The king took a seat. "Please, have a seat. I want to talk."

Making sure that nothing was on the seat, Hiccup gently lowered himself there, then sat at full attention.

"Hiccup, I know that you're taking time to settle in, and I want to make sure that you're as comfortable as you can be, but there is something I must bring to your attention."

"What is it?"

The king clasped his hands together, closing his eyes for ten seconds. As Hiccup suspected, this was something very important. One didn't just do what the king did without some measure of hesitance.

Just what was he about to be told?

"As I've stated before, I'm grateful to you for saving the life of myself, Iduna, and our crew." Adgar's tone was very serious. "I cannot thank you enough for that. Even giving you a place here isn't consolation enough in my mind."

"I was just glad that I could be of some help." Hiccup thought about Berk in that moment. "I wasn't expecting payment."

"Of that I have little doubt." The king nodded. "However, saying that the only reason that I brought you here was because of what you did would be a lie."

"Huh?" Hiccup leaned closer. "What do you mean?"  
"When I saw that you, a boy not yet in adulthood had the ability to befriend Toothless, a creature said to be ferocious and dangerous by all accounts, I saw an opportunity." The king grabbed a nearby tea cup and pour himself a drink. "Tea?"

"Um, sure." Hiccup nodded. "Thank you."

"It's a bit light, so if there's no taste, you know why." The king passed the cup. "But getting back to the matter at hand, I saw in you something unique. Whether you know it or not, you're special."

"How… how do you mean?" This was definitely going somewhere.

"You and Toothless represent a sort of power that few men in the world can have, despite many dreaming of it." Adgar took a small sip. "And that's where my eldest daughter comes in."

"Elsa." Hiccup breathed. "I asked Iduna about it, but all she would say was that Elsa was different than most people."

"And my wife is correct." Adgar agreed. "I won't dance around the issue, so I'll get straight to the point. Please bear with me; this might sound crazy."

"I've befriended a dragon." Hiccup responded. "I think I can handle a little crazy."

"If you say so." Adgar took a breath. "Elsa has the ability to control ice and snow to her will."

Hiccup expected something different, maybe that Elsa was debilitated in some way, or that maybe that she had a similar creature for a companion. If he understood correctly, then Elsa had the power to control an element.

"She can… control an element?" It sounded so unreal on his tongue. "As in make it do what she wants."

"Yes and no. It's no so simple as he being able to control it. If that were the case, I wouldn't bother talking to you about this. No, the reason why we're taking is because she doesn't have true control over it."

"Does anyone else in the family have powers?"

"No."

Now Hiccup realized what was going on. If what the king said was true, then Elsa was alone due to the fact that she could control abilities that few would ever possess, and Hiccup knew first-hand what one could do when they were alone with no one to understand or sympathize with them.

"So that's why you want my help." Hiccup pressed his lips together, then rubbed his forehead. "But what can I do?"

"I don't know right now, but I want to see if somehow you could reach out to Elsa." Adgar now sounded urgent. "Iduna and I have tried for years to get to her, but it hasn't worked. Maybe you know something that we don't."

"I… don't know…" This sounded like something beyond his abilities. "I'm just a boy who learned how to befriend a dragon."

"And that's more than enough reason for me to ask you to try. Can you try at least once and see?"  
Hiccup wanted to protest, but those words didn't come to his mouth when he saw just how desperate the king was. He cared about Elsa a great deal and it looked like he was running fast out of options, and so he turned to someone who had a chance, however unlikely.

This was a new kind of pressure for Hiccup, but not necessarily bad in all ways. This time, he wasn't being pressured to do better. Instead, he was being pressured to help someone in need.

Difficult.

"I don't make promises." Hiccup wasn't sure what to feel, but his decision was made. "When can I talk to Elsa?"

"I'll arrange for you to see her once Anna is put to bed." Adgar said. "We'll see how Elsa responds. Do you have questions?"

"Just one question." Hiccup spoke up. "You make it sound like Elsa's a danger to everyone. Is Elsa's powers that out of control?"

"Elsa herself is not dangerous to anyone." Adgar got up and looked at the window. "But she can't control her powers, and because of that, she's isolated from everyone, including Anna. She speaks to only myself, Iduna, Gerda and Kai."

"Then how will you get her to approach me?" Hiccup felt anxious.

"I'll be there." Adgar answered. "Iduna will be too."

"Okay." Hiccup nodded and sighed. "Okay."

Now his real work had begun.

* * *

 **Months of waiting once again. I have nothing to offer other than I'm sorry. Things at home have been a bit tense between myself and my parents.**

 **Next chapter, we'll begin with the meeting of Hiccup and Elsa. Fair warning to those that are clinging onto hope: there will be no Hiccelsa. This is Hiccanna through and through.**

 **So what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Meh? Same old, same old? Leave a review as feedback is greatly appreciated.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter, and remember:**

 _ **"We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve."**_

 **Bill Gates**

 **Peace out!**


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